WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - An illegal tobacco sweatshop, “good cause” eviction, new NYCHA e-bike rules

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Virginia was several hours into her shift at a clandestine tobacco factory in northeast Brooklyn in early February when she abruptly abandoned her post, overcome by dizziness and a pulsing headache.

She had been stripping, by hand, Fronto tobacco leaves that are illicitly sold crushed to be mixed with cannabis, and are available in dozens of bodegas and smoke shops across New York City and the region.

Virginia performs this work at the dank, unventilated warehouse alongside more than a dozen other women, 13 hours a day, six days a week. The job consists of stripping 15 pounds of tobacco leaves a day each, workers say, for a brand of loose tobacco, HotHead Grabba, which boasts of 70 retailers in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

Their supervisors don’t provide gloves, masks or drinking water, according to a complaint filed to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration this week. Also this week, seven current and former workers at the HotHead factory filed complaints with the New York State Department of Labor, alleging tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.

Stripping the tobacco leaves releases what workers described as an acrid powder that makes their eyes, nasal passages, throats and skin itch. They say the smell is so strong that it is not unusual for people, particularly new hires, to faint, vomit or get piercing headaches. They also told THE CITY that they have repeatedly confronted their supervisors about not being paid.

The Instagram account claimed by HotHead Grabba LLC boasts to 20,000 followers of the “clean” tobacco used in spliffs. It is one of an array of unlicensed cannabis-related products for sale in bodegas and smoke shops, as New York State struggles to launch legal cannabis retailers.

Read more about workers’ allegations in the labor complaints here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Thursday's Weather Rating: 3/10. Woah, what a change! A strong cold front moves through with temperatures barely reaching the upper 30s. Strong wind gusts are expected throughout the day despite partly cloudy skies. Grab a jacket, the vibes are chilly again!

Our Other Top Stories

Affordable housing advocates are rallying behind a “good cause eviction” law that would discourage landlords from making too-high rent increases. But a new report authored by the city’s former housing chief says the proposed protections could blow back on tenants, by having the unintended effect of making apartments harder to find. A tweak in a city contract has left scores of Queens residents without transportation to and from senior centers. Transportation providers say the Department for the Aging is no longer allowing them to use public funds for such rides. The shortfall has left approximately 100 seniors and at least 10 senior centers in Southeast Queens scrambling to find their own transportation, according to one group.

Reporter’s Notebook

New Public Housing E-Bikes Rules

The New York City Housing Authority on Wednesday officially introduced a new policy for e-bikes and e-scooters in its buildings in an effort to avoid fires sparked by faulty or improperly charged batteries.

The rules, which go into effect Friday, say that NYCHA residents can only charge one device at a time, an adult must be present, and the charger has to plug directly into a wall outlet (as opposed to an extension cord) and be away from sources of heat and doors.

The policy prohibits refurbished batteries and charging in common areas. NYCHA had considered a ban on the vehicles, but pivoted to the revamped rules after resident outcry, as THE CITY previously reported.

— Samantha Maldonado

Second Ad Hoc Migrant Shelter Raided

Two days after city officials vacated a Queens furniture store where dozens of West African migrants had been living, city officials busted a second ad hoc shelter operated by the same man — this one in a former juice shop in Kingsbridge in The Bronx.

When FDNY and Department of Buildings inspectors arrived at the East Kingsbridge Road storefront rented by Ebou Sarr on Wednesday evening, they found 34 beds on the first floor and another 11 beds crammed together in the cellar.

Building inspectors found other fire hazards including extension cords, e-bikes, space heaters and hotplates, a DOB spokesperson said, leading them to vacate the building due to the “hazardous life-threatening conditions,” a lack of natural light and ventilation, and severe overcrowding.

Earlier this week Sarr, himself a Senegalese immigrant told THE CITY said he’d first opened his Richmond Hill furniture shop to West African migrants last fall because many of the men had been ejected from city shelters and were desperate for a safe and warm place to sleep.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Sarr confirmed he’d been running the second storefront as a shelter but declined to give further details.

— Gwynne Hogan

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Friday, March 1: First Friday, an evening of salsa dancing, music and a curator-led exhibition tour of Bronx Calling: The Sixth AIM Biennial (Part One). Free from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Bronx Museum.  Saturday, March 2: Lower East Side Street Tree Care, an event hosted by NYC Parks that teaches volunteers how to care for local trees. Free from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan. Sunday, March 3: Winter Wildlife Hike: Marine Ecology, a walk to learn about seals, birds and other wildlife that visit NYC shores in the winter. Free from 1 to 2 p.m. at Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk in Brooklyn.

THE KICKER: Brooklyn-born actor Richard Lewis, a comedic legend known for his stand-up work as well as classics like the movie “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, died yesterday at 76.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday.

Love,

THE CITY

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